"Show and Tell Friday!"

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item.

Today I'm going to show you our collection of mini tea sets. This little bit of wall space is in my dining room.

I found the actual shelf at a yard sale many years ago.


This beautiful heart that Anita made for me hangs on one of the hooks.


On the very top shelf I keep two of these teapot candle holders.


The bottom two tea sets were gifts to the girls from Phillip. The white set is missing quite a few pieces because the girls actually used them for tea time when they were little. Let's just say these dishes are well loved. :0)






I found this last tea set at a yard sale a few years ago. The young girl that was selling it said her Grandmother brought it back from a trip she had made to Japan. I thought it was sad she was getting rid of it, but the girls and I have enjoyed it!



Thank you for looking my show and tell!

Show and Tell Guidelines

What is Show and Tell Friday?
Show and Tell involves showing something to an audience, and then telling them about it. Your show and tell must be something that you own, and is in your home or garden.

What items work well for Show and Tell Friday?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-Gardening pictures

What doesn't work well for Show and Tell Friday?
-Posts with no photos have no "Show." Please don't use them.
-Photos of events (trips, vacations, celebrations, etc.)
-Photos of things you are selling or planning to sell.
-Photos found on the internet, graphics or screenshots. Please use photos you take yourself.
-Old photos of just people instead of things.

There is no place like home is the original home of Show and Tell Friday. Please do not host your own.

How can I participate?
Once you've got your photo(s) and your story, it's easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Publish your "Show and Tell" on your blog, including a link back to There is No Place Like Home. Go HERE for the "Show and Tell" picture code to copy and paste into your post.

2 - Copy the link (or "permalink") from your post.

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name only. (This will make the list easier to read.) I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Variations and Toppings

Hello everyone! We have been trying out some different variations on hot chocolate and I thought I would share them with you.


I will admit to using the instant envelopes of hot chocolate many times, but here is my favorite homemade Hot Chocolate recipe. It's very quick and easy!

Hot Chocolate

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the cocoa, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in boiling water and bring mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Stir in the milk and heat until hot, but do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serves 4-5.

Now for the different flavorings you can add...


~Raspberry Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1 teaspoon of seedless raspberry jam.


~Butterscotch Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1 tablespoon of butterscotch sauce.


~Ginger and Cinnamon Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1/8 teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon.


~Mocha Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1 teaspoon instant coffee.


~Maple Hot Chocolate: Stir in 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup.

I have tried all of these different variations and really like them all! Now let's talk about toppings!


~Good old whipped cream.


~Whipped cream and cookie sprinkles. This is especially fun for Valentine's Day.


~Whipped cream, a marshmallow and chocolate shavings.


~Mini marshmallows with a butterscotch drizzle.


~For all you chocoholics out there...Chocolate Whipped Cream with chocolate shavings.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a small bowl, mix the cocoa and sugar together. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the whipped cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add the cocoa mixture, whipping until well blended.


All of these variations should keep you warm until spring. Let me know if you try any of them.

Do you have a favorite hot chocolate flavor or topping?

My Front Porch in Winter

Today I am going to share pictures of my front porch. I wish I had some snow to show you too, but we haven't had our usual January snowflakes yet.


Pansies do well during the winter months in Texas, so I planted these burgundy, purple and yellow ones, along with some hanging jasmine.


This picture is especially for my 4 year old nephew. He gave me this sweet hedgehog for Christmas. He has come out to get some afternoon sun and as you can see he has a new friend, although she is a little shy.


For a winter wreath I took some berry garland that was leftover over from my Christmas decorations and shaped it into a messy rustic wreath. This will be great for Valentine's Day too!


I have had this grapevine swag above my porch for several years now. I took two grapevine wreaths, stretched them out, hung them from large hooks and then wrapped white Christmas lights all around. It is also the home to a pair of Mourning Doves each spring. Can you see their nest in the upper left corner?


All lit up at night.



Thank you for looking at my front porch!

Weekend Chit~Chat

Hello everyone! Many of you asked me about the apple basket in my show and tell post. I like apples for both decorating and eating. Well, I can't eat them raw because for some reason it reminds me of fingernails on a chalkboard, but I LOVE them in pie, cake, crisp, etc.


I just wasn't sure if *eggs* should go into a basket obviously meant for *apples.* Yes, I know that is weird! But, since several of you didn't even notice the apple design until I pointed it out, I guess the eggs can stay. ;0)

Here is some further proof that I am a fan of apples.

I had a quiet day at home today. I worked on some paper crafts while Phillip took the girls to run a few errands. We had two friends over for burgers and ice cream tonight.


Benjamin decided to make his stuffed frog a pair of ice skates. The blade is made from a lego, which I thought was clever.


Our watergarden had a thin layer of ice on top, so his frog had a nice little skate.


The girls and Benjamin were also busy with their clay.


A yummy cake.


Speaking of cake (and apples!) I made this Apple Butter Spice Cake on Friday. My friend, Revee and her girls came over for a visit. If you would like the recipe it is in my sidebar. The only change I made was substituting the topping pecans for quick oats.

I hope you all are having a great weekend!

"Show and Tell Friday!"

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item.

As you can see, there is a new picture for "Show and Tell Friday"! Please go HERE for the picture code to copy and paste into your post!

We went to the resale store yesterday to look for treasures, here are a few things we found...


I've been needing a new basket for my eggs and found this sturdy metal one. I got it for $1.00.


While taking this picture I noticed the apple design on the basket. That is really going to bug me now! LOL


Next, Grace found these cute ice cream sundae dishes. They were $1.00 each.


As with all new dishes, I recommend trying them out as soon as possible. ;0)


Here was our best find of the day. Grace was on a roll and spotted this doll desk on the side of an aisle. She said it was the American Girl Samantha's desk. I wasn't sure, but it was cute and the price was good.


We looked it up online when we got home and sure enough it is Samantha's desk! It retails for $68.00. We got it for $5.19!! This is something we would have never payed full price for, so it was a nice surprise!



Thank you for looking at my show and tell!


Show and Tell Guidelines

What is Show and Tell Friday?
Show and Tell involves showing something to an audience, and then telling them about it. Your show and tell must be something that you own, and is in your home or garden.

What items work well for Show and Tell Friday?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-Gardening pictures

What doesn't work well for Show and Tell Friday?
-Posts with no photos have no "Show." Please don't use them.
-Photos of events (trips, vacations, celebrations, etc.)
-Photos of things you are selling or planning to sell.
-Photos found on the internet, graphics or screenshots. Please use photos you take yourself.
-Old photos of just people instead of things.

There is no place like home is the original home of Show and Tell Friday. Please do not host your own.

How can I participate?
Once you've got your photo(s) and your story, it's easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Publish your "Show and Tell" on your blog, including a link back to There is No Place Like Home.

2 - Copy the link (or "permalink") from your post.

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name only. (This will make the list easier to read.) I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.